CHAPTER XIII. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.

When the morning train arrived, Mark was on hand. He watched carefully for the man he was sent to meet. As it happened, the business agent was the last man to leave the train. He stepped upon the platform, and began to look about him.

Mark advanced towards him, and raised his hat, politely.

"Is this Mr. Hardy¹?" he asked.

The small man regarded him sharply.

"Yes," he answered. "Have you a message for me?"

"Yes, sir. I am to conduct you to Mr. Taylor."

"Just so. How is his health?"

"He has had an attack of rheumatism², but is better."

"No wonder he is sick, living in that out-of-the-way place. Do you know him well?"

"Pretty well, sir. I am in his employ."

"Ha! then he is living a little more as he should do. What is your name?"

"Mark Manning."

"M. M. Just so. Sounds like a fancy name. Is it?"

"No, sir; it's all the name I have," said Mark smiling.

"How long have you been in the employ of Mr. Taylor?"

"Only a little over a week."

"Do you know anything about his history?" demanded Mr. Hardy, with a sharp look of inquiry³.

"Yes, sir. He has told me something of it."

"Humph! Then he must have confidence in you. Well, let us be starting. Is it far?"

"Nearly two miles, sir. Perhaps you will be tired."

"In which case you will perhaps kindly⁴ carry me on your shoulders," suggested Mr. Hardy, quizzically.

"I am afraid I shouldn't be able to do that," returned Mark, with a smile.

"And yet, I don't believe I weigh much more than you. What is your weight?"

"One hundred and twenty-three pounds."

"And I weigh one hundred and twenty-four. I have one pound the advantage of you."

Mark, who was a stout⁵ boy, was rather pleased to learn that he weighed within a pound as much as his companion. I suppose most boys are proud of their size.

They had commenced their walk and Mark found that his new acquaintance was a fast walker.

"Does Mr. Taylor ever have any visitors?" asked the lawyer, for such was his profession.

"Not from the village, sir."

"From any other quarter?" asked Hardy.

"He had a call from his nephew, lately."

"Lyman Taylor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then he has found his uncle's place of concealment⁶. What do you know of the interview?"

Mark gave an account of Lyman's visit, his demand for money, and his threatened violence.

"Did he suppose his uncle had money?" inquired the lawyer, in an anxious tone.

"He did not suppose he had much, but he wanted a part of it, however small."

"Did he succeed in obtaining anything?"

"Mr. Taylor told me to give him five dollars."

"Why you?"

"I had a sum of money belonging to the hermit⁷, in my possession. I used to buy things for him in the village."

"Then you think Lyman went away with the impression that my friend—the hermit, as you call him—had very little money?"

"Yes, sir; I am sure of it."

"Are you under the same impression?"

"No, sir; Mr Taylor has told me that he is moderately rich."

"That shows he has great confidence in you. Don't breathe a word of it, my boy, or this rascally⁸ nephew will persecute⁹ his uncle, and make his life a burden."

"He will learn nothing from me," said Mark firmly.

"You seem a good trustworthy boy—I think my friend made a good choice of a confidant."

"Thank you, sir."

At length they reached the cabin in the wood. Old Anthony was already outside, waiting for their coming.

"Good morning, my friend," said the lawyer; "the boy tells me you have been sick——"

"Yes, I have had a visit from my old enemy, but I am much better."

"To be sick in such a place!" said the lawyer with a shudder¹⁰.

"I have not suffered, thanks to Mark—will you come in?"

"Let us rather bring chairs outside, if you are provided with such luxuries. We shall have several matters to discuss."

Mr. Hardy glanced significantly at Mark, who was leaning against a tree, and could of course hear the conversation.

"Mark," said the hermit, "you may go farther away, but return in an hour. This gentleman and myself may have some things to speak of which are private."

"Certainly, sir."

"Well, old friend," Hardy began, "haven't you had enough of this strange existence? you are rich, and can afford all the comforts of life, yet you voluntarily surrender them, and bury yourself in this wilderness¹¹. Do you mean to stay here all your life?"

"I did at one time think it probable, now I am beginning to feel a greater interest in life."

"The boy tells me your nephew has found you out?"

"Yes; he came here in quest of money, but he went away convinced that I was nearly as poor as himself. If he knew the truth I should be in constant danger of robbery, or worse——"

"If you die without a will, is he not your heir?"

"He would be, but I shall make a will. It is partly to give you instructions on this point that I have sent for you."

"You have no one else to leave your money to?"

"A part will go to charitable institutions, a part——"

"Well?"

"To one whom I hold in greater regard than my nephew—to the boy, who guided you hither."

"Indeed! does he know anything of your purpose?"

"Nothing, and need not."

"You have taken a fancy to him?"

"Yes; he is honest, manly¹², upright, just such a boy as I should have been glad to have for my son. Don't dissuade¹³ me, for the thought of doing something for him gives me a new interest in life."

"I shall not dissuade you, Anthony, for I believe the boy to be all that you say. Of course if you had a blood relation who was deserving, I might make an objection. Has this boy relations?"

"Only a mother, who is mainly dependent upon him. By the way, have you invested the sum paid in lately?"

"No; but I have an application for it, or I should say, for four-fifths of it. Curiously¹⁴, the applicant¹⁵ lives in this town."

"Who is it?"

"Collins, the shoe manufacturer."

"I am surprised at this. I thought he was rich."

"He has lost money by investments in stocks, and finds himself hard up."

"What does he offer?"

"Seven per cent, secured by a mortgage on his shop."

"Let him have it."

"Are you willing that your name should appear in the matter?"

"No; I shall transfer the sum to Mark, and make you his trustee or guardian¹⁶."

"I understand. Is he to know of his good fortune?"

"Not at present. The boy was discharged only yesterday from the shop of this Collins," added Anthony, smiling.

"A good joke!" said the lawyer. "And now the boy lends him money. That is returning good for evil."

"Without knowing it."

"Precisely¹⁷."

1 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

2 rheumatism   

n.风湿病

参考例句：

• The damp weather plays the very devil with my rheumatism.潮湿的天气加重了我的风湿病。
• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。

3 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

4 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

6 concealment   

n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒

参考例句：

• the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒
• Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。

7 hermit   

n.隐士，修道者；隐居

参考例句：

• He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
• Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。

8 rascally   

adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地

参考例句：

• They said Kelso got some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult his son-in-law in public. 他们说是凯尔索指使某个下贱的冒险家，一个比利时恶棍，来当众侮辱他的女婿。
• Ms Taiwan: Can't work at all, but still brag and quibble rascally. 台湾小姐：明明不行，还要硬拗、赖皮逞强。

9 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

10 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

11 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

12 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

13 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。

14 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

15 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

16 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

17 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。